Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-04-30
A GOOD SHORTHAND WRITER.
He Must Have the Firmest, soundest
Nerve-What the Trouble Is.

'"N "' s
In the first place, to be a good short
hand writer land n second rate n is not
worth the o he takes requires the FIR
NEST, soundest nerve. No business that
can be named takes so much out of one
as shorthand reporting. Hearing, eye
sight, hand and brain are called upon for
their highest work and the most intense
attention. Sandy haired boys of sanguine
temperament or pale Tipped dark ones
should choose outdoor work and let re-
porting in every case alone, except for
amusement. Hundreds of such young
men are carried TO their graves every
year from the offices and newspapers Of
the city who might be hale. long lived
men if they had not mistaken their voca-
ton. Lean, wiry men and women are
best for desk work, and stand the drain
of indoor life with least loss. The young
men and women who have secret desire
for easy positions should let shorthand
alone.
The shorthand writer, like the typical
newspaper man, wants 20 have the widest
intelligence possible-to know something
about everything, at least enough to know
what is talked about. For not only mer-
chants and lawyers, but physicians, edi-
tors and literary men, to say nothing Of
politicians, are coming TO find the services
of n shorthand writer Of great lis" in their
professions. And to be of Use. he must
be a man who takes things at word, who
knows n geographical name or a character
In history or fiction when he hears il,
without stopping TO ask what that word
was and bOthering to have it spcllcd-a
process which goes far To drive the prin-
cipal debating out Of his senses.
The secretary needs such keen AMI close
attention as Ia catch the direction and the
exact words without having to utter that
irritating What every ten minutes or
oftener. breaking the thread of thought
and wasting time when his express bust
Ness is Ia make the most of it for an over
weighted principal whose moments are
precious. Then. as corresponding clerk
or secretary, he must have the forms Of
good business address nj command. Sothat
he can put curt directions into courteous
and well turned phrase. An order worth
thousands may be lost the house by too
stiff "A tone. the offensive independence Of
a phrase. or one which has something
over polite and selections about it.
Il want a man. said a Boston mer-
chant asking for q stenographer, "who
can take my idea in three words and put
il into shape in a letter, neatly written.
spaced and directed. If | can get such a
man hes sure Of a good place as long rs
I'm going But the clever head Of a
reference Office he applied Ia could only
shake his head and say, IF we had
twenty such men they would all find
places tomorrow and as many the day
after"
\ keen business man Of wild" expert
encc in many kinds Of work ,iys: THE
trouble with thrce-fourths Of the Young
men and girls who learn shorthand and
typewriting is they don't know anything.
They expect to get along 10y knowing
their one branch and nothing else. and il
is no use. You get a clever girl at a
typewriter-One who can rattle oil slightly
words If the Declaration of ludcpan Whence
a minute. or Longfcllow's Palm Of Life
or anything She knows by hcart-and
hi h'i h'NH w WIN Al bIStltfrN ltlltT
from dictation. and she has To- stop and
turn her machine up every three lines TO
see if she mas slellel a word right.
II puts one ont. aud makes the mail
late. Or she lets il go with II blunder
that would disgrace an infant scholar,
and there int time 10 write il over.
Sometimes the whole batch If a morning
has to H. done over. II happen Ia say
Buenos Ayrcs she is ~dunbluuHlol, don't
know what heather I'm naming. and |
mus write il out before she knows what
is meant, and C"hattahoOchec would floor
her forever.
That's my business. Now. if I'm
debating on time for my papcr-not a
minute to spare, and it isn't the least
matter how il looks. and the proof reader
minds the spelling, ten TO one she'll have
her eraser out every other line Ia correct
some fdnciel blemish, and you can't get
1t into her head or her either, that all
you want is TO drive ahead and get that
manuscript ierked up TO the printers in
fifte II seconds. That's what | call want
of intelligence. And out Of 300 young
men and women WI tried to fit for type
writer secretaries, there were not five |
should call good ones, who could be
trusted 10 write "A letter without some
shabby hlunder in spelling or phrase. -
New York star,